4 days post -op (cross posting to RYN)

I posted this in the RYN but thought I'd post in the general too since thats where I posted the first time before my surgery. I wasn't sure where to post it, hope thats ok!

Hello again! 

I wanted to thank everyone that responded to my first post earlier in the week before my surgery. I read all the responses and felt so welcomed! I really wanted to sit and respond to each comment, but ended up having so many things I needed to get done before surgery that I never had a chance, and while I have still been checking the board on my phone, it feels a lot easier to type out a long post on the laptop keyboard. Since I am 4 days post-op today (surgery was 12/29 at 9am) I wanted to share my experience so far.

This was my first surgery ever, so I kept thinking I would be a basket case. Oddly enough I slept pretty well the night before only waking up a few times with that feeling of being late for something. But I'd check my phone realize I had a few more hours and fall back asleep. Of course I was still excited/anxious to get things going and my husband and I ended up arriving about 30 minutes early. We sat in the car for a bit and then went inside and checked in. We only sat in the waiting room for about ten minutes until they called us back.

Then a nurse put us in a little alcove with a curtain, they had me take a urine pregnancy test and they drew some blood, started an IV, I had to get naked/into gown, and then one nurse gave my tummy a once over to make sure there were not any hairs or peach fuzz. That was a bit awkward haha but I kept telling myself "this is normal to them". I still didn't feel as crazy nervous as expected. The anesthesiologist came by and I explained that I had never been put under before and I asked if the fact that I get car sick, could be a sign that it might make me have nausea.  I had asked my nurse about this previously and she wasn't sure, but the anesthesiologist said yes it could and they put a patch behind my ear to help with that.

Then before I knew it they were wheeling me to the operating room, which was just across a hall. It was such a strange feeling to be wheeled like you see in movies. The room was so cold and as soon as I was in I saw there were a lot of people, 8-10? A nurse introduced herself and put a mask over my face telling me to take deeps breaths and thats all I remember from that. It was great because I didn't even really have a chance to feel super nervous.

Next thing I know I am waking up (sort of) in a huge room with lots of other people in beds and some one is asking me if I have any pain. I remember thinking it was weird because I didn't have any pain at all, and kept thinking "wow thats crazy!" Some one kept saying I needed to be set up with pain meds, and I kept drifting off only woken because people in the room were noisy. I kept wondering too if I was supposed to be awake, but I felt so tired that I'd keep falling back asleep. I kept waiting for someone to yell at me like in a tv show that I needed to wake up, but that never happened. Someone put a push button in my hand and told me it was my pain meds and to pu**** whenever I needed. I have no clue if I pushed it in the recovery room, because I still don't remember having any pain, and just kept drifting off to sleep. I did wake up when I heard someone yell "we've got beds!" but the time in recovery felt like a flash a minutes. My husband told me later I was there for two hours. The surgery itself took just under two hours, so I was in the recovery waiting a bit longer. I have no memory of them wheeling me to my room, but I do remember saying hi to my husband when I got there and again going back to sleep.

After a few hours still feeling groggy I told him he should go home since I was doing well, and only felt like sleeping any way. I am sure the time for him must have been so boring! I really loved my night nurse that first night who kept praising my urine output (I had a catheter) and my JP drain color. Who knew such things could make a girl feel proud. I did feel very thirsty, but I knew going into things that I wouldn't be able to drink anything until the Dr. approved. I tried to just rest and not think about it. They gave me mouth swabs which were little sticks with sponges on the end, and a cup of ice water to dip it in to wet my mouth. The next morning I just kept thinking "ok ill ge****er soon, just wait it out" but I did feel like that dry mouth was such torture at times. I noticed the next day that the swabs came with little tubes that said "mouth moisturizer" so I finally opened one, even though the idea of lotion for your mouth sounded gross. It did help and they were minty like toothpaste so it wasn't gross at all. That second day I may have asked the nurses a few times when I might ge****er, but no one seemed to know. Finally my Dr. came in around 3pm and said I could go ahead and advance to the clear liquid diet. I could of jumped for joy. My husband was back the second day and I think it was hard for him to watch me feeling the dry mouth. The funny thing is I didn't really have much pain for the surgery and only used my pain button a few times. The dry mouth was way worse. About an hour later the nurse brought me a watered down apple juice. I should back up and say I had a nurse in the early morning who said "man I wonder when they will give you a drink! When you ge****er you better chug it down!" I couldn't believe it and only answered saying "but I have to sip it" So strange. So I got my apple juice and took tiny sips. I thought maybe it would be painful when the liquid went into my stomach, but it all felt normal. I did notice the water/juice any of that didn't help much with the dry mouth feeling, but ice really did. So I sucked a lot of ice. They brought me my dinner tray and it was water, juice, brother, protein powder, and protein jello. I ate barely anything and sucked a lot of ice.

The second night in the hospital I felt really bored and didn't sleep as well. I don't normally sleep on my back and my hair was a big mess from constantly rubbing against the bed. I couldn't wait to go home at that point. My catheter had been removed before my dinner and I thought that my hurt too but really didn't. Though I had the IV plugged in and still had to call nurses to use the bathroom. So before I went to sleep I pushed the call button and the nurse asked what I needed. She said "I'll be right in" and then she left the button going so I could still hear her say "man these people need to stop going to the bathroom" So of course that made me feel great, she was really the only nurse I dealt with who always seemed bothered and put out, so not too bad.

The next day I was discharged around 3pm and so happy to be going home. I've been home since and haven't ventured anywhere yet. I'd like to go out to the grocery store this evening, but I'm trying to figure out a way to shower while avoid getting my drain wet, and hiding it while I am out. I have an appointment next wednesday to get my JP drain out, can't wait for that. Its kind of gross to have it hanging off you and have to empty it. It's not terrible but I think will make it even more comfortable to sleep without it. They sent me home with a RX for pain but I haven't needed any. I've been so surprised by the lack of pain the whole time, because I think about the 5 incisions and JP drain hole and think "how can they just not hurt?" the human body is crazy amazing.

I've been trying to make sure to get all my protein and water in. Yesterday I fell a little short on both, so today I added protein powder to my water which still has a slight taste even with crystal light, but is not unbearable. I also found I love the premixed premier protein chocolate shakes. I told my husband that they taste like the milk left after a bowl of cocoa pebbles. Such a strange thing but thats really how it tastes to me. Right now on the full liquid diet it's kind of boring, but I haven't felt hunger at all, so I try to remind myself that this is just another little stage in the whole thing. Oh and I weighed myself just out of curiosity this morning and I am at 306. I was 325 starting, 310 at the hospital, so it felt a little crazy to see 306 already :)

Reading your post made me feel like I was going in for my surgery again.  It was a strange deja vu feeling.  

It sounds like you're doing very well, and I'm so happy you haven't had any pain or problems eating.  Good luck in your journey, it's a great way to begin.

Glad you are doing well- remember to get up and walk a ton. And keep water or liquid with you at all times.

Surprised they gave you apple juice, one of the techs gave that to me, then the nutritionist came by and said, you aren't supposed to have that because of the sugar in it. It could have caused dumping.